The Kick It Out anti-racist group have had a tough time over the past week or so following the John Terry hearing and the unsavoury incidents during and after the Serbia v England Under-21 game.

A number of high-profile black players have refused to wear the campaign’s warm-up T-shirts before games.

Anyone could understand and relate to these players and I definitely get why they feel so strong about it.

However, “Kick It Out” is a charity that has no teeth and no power so although it can highlight any racist problems that occur within the game the reality is it has no power to do anything about it.

There is no place in society for racism but the only people who can and should deal with this are the governing bodies.

Nationally that’s the FA and internationally UEFA and FIFA.

If they made the punishment fit the crime instead of hitting offenders with a fine then players like Rio Ferdinand would not need to make a point by refusing to wear a T-shirt and we would begin to see the problem erased.

The PFA have to play a bigger part than just saying “we back the players”.

The players union can and should control the actions of their men and could be the driving force to sort out the situation with their own members and the governing bodies.

There were unconfirmed reports of the whole issue possibly causing a split in the PFA that would see some players break away to form their own union.

Some players not wearing T-shirts and the possibility of the union splitting doesn’t sort the problem – all it does is divide and weaken the groups.

In a free democracy everyone has the right to decide if he wants to wear a “Kick It Out” T-shirt or not. However, the big question is does it help?

It has certainly got the “Kick It Out” campaign more publicity than it ever had and has done more to highlight that there are still problems than wearing badges and T-shirts ever did.

Was Rio wrong to embarrass Sir Alex Ferguson, who said all his players would wear the T-shirt?

I think he was, not by refusing to wear it but because he didn’t knock on Fergie’s door and say he wouldn’t.

The cynic in me asks the question: Was this a big scam to maximise the publicity? Surely not?

However, if it was it worked a treat.

A much bigger issue is what UEFA and FIFA do about racism in some countries in Europe. Serbia has to be hit and hit hard. Fines, big or small, will have no effect whatsoever.

They have to be banned from competitions or forced to play behind closed doors or play every game away.

I wonder is there a “Kick It Out” campaign in Serbia or any other European country.

If not, perhaps this is where UEFA could make an impact by insisting local football associations start one.